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Galley Tables

May022008

Assembly Pays Legal Bills

Friday, 02 May 2008

Stephens Lawsuit Over

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It appears that
the Mel Stephens versus the Kodiak Island Borough lawsuit is finally
over. The assembly voted 5-to-2 last night to pay the legal bills of
its members -- something that has caused months of tension and
contention.

There was never any
question the legal services of the borough's contract attorney, Matt
Jamin, would be paid. But fees for three members of the assembly who
hired an Anchorage firm have been up in the air -- until last night.

Those three
members were Louise Stutes, Tom Abell and Reed Oswalt. They opted for
their own attorney after disagreeing with the borough's position in the
lawsuit. Stephens, a former assembly member himself, sued late last
year claiming Assemblywoman Sue Jeffrey missed too many meetings and
should be removed of office. A judge did order Jeffrey removed in
December, but the assembly reappointed her later that month.

Despite both
sides claiming the high ground of wanting to put the controversy behind
them, it was still a long and arduous process. At one point Assemblyman
Tom Abell made a thinly-veiled threat that more lawsuits were in the
future if his attorney fee was not paid.

He would not
elaborate when assembly members Jeffrey and Pat Branson questioned him
on the statement. Branson called Abell's comments innuendo and said a
new lawsuit was ridiculous.

After setting a
cap on the fees for the Stutes, Abell and Oswalt attorney, the
resolution passed with only Jeffrey and Chris Lynch voting no.

An earlier
resolution offered by Abell was intended to bring closure to the
process by binding the assembly members to a pledge not to appeal the
judge's final order, which was rendered on April 4th. It failed on a
3-to-4 vote.